An “idiot” driver who crashed into a parked car during an early hours police pursuit has had his own vehicle taken off him by a judge.

Reece King, 21, caused £1,000 worth of damage to a woman’s Vauxhall Corsa when he lost control of his speeding Seat Ibiza and hit a kerb as he tried to get away from officers in the Primrose Hill area of Huddersfield.

During the pursuit in June King reached speeds of about 70mph on roads with 30mph limits and drove through a red light at around 60mph.

Prosecutor Carmel Pearson told Bradford Crown Court that King’s car, which he had only just bought and fixed up, hit a kerb on a blind bend breaking one of the disc brakes and snapping the axle.

She said the Seat then crashed into the parked Vauxhall Corsa and King was arrested from the driver’s seat as he was trying to restart the car.

“He immediately said he had been an idiot,” said Miss Pearson.

King, of Blossom Court, Dalton, pleaded guilty to charges of dangerous driving and driving without insurance.

The court heard he had no previous convictions and was expecting to lose his job as a driver and car valet as a result of his conviction.

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A probation officer, who interviewed King, told Judge Jonathan Rose that the defendant had panicked when he saw the police car.

Barrister Howard Shaw, for King, said his client was very sorry for the offending and he confirmed that Seat vehicle was now in a police compound.

“Well it’s not coming back to him,” said Judge Rose.

The judge made a deprivation order in respect of the Seat vehicle and also told King that he would have to pay compensation of £1,000 to owner of the Vauxhall Corsa.

King was sentenced to a two-year community order which includes a requirement to do 180 hours unpaid work for the community and a 10-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

“You’re not escaping punishment young man,” the judge told King.

“You’re going to be punished by working for the community for nothing.

“You’ve lost your job as a result of this. It’s going to cost you a lot of money and a lot of your time, but you could have lost your life.”

King was also banned from driving for the next two years and he must take an extended driving test at the end of the disqualification period before being allowed to drive lawfully on the roads again.